What Does Time Really Tell?
by couriro
Summary: Set right after "A Moment in Manhattan" - contains spoilers so please be forewarned. I only own the my thoughts and spec on how I want this storyline truly to end.
1. The Meeting

This is what I promised. I just needed some information before I started it. So at long last, my new fic.

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It had started to rain and I was on my way back home on the subway, I sat there thinking about the conversation I had had with him. I despised him; I loathed him. In all the cities I thought I would not run into him, I did. He sat across from me in that coffee shop, trying to justify his actions to me. He tried to make me feel sorry for him, but it didn't work. All I did was turn the tables on him and try and make him feel sorry for me. He made my life seem to be unbearable for what seemed like an eternity, but now I have turned it around and feel even stronger because of it.

I looked up after being lost in my thoughts and the subway had stopped at my stop. I got out and saw a man playing an instrument by the stairway. My mind turned from anger to concern. Tomorrow was judgment day. In the morning I was going to see Ephram. Should I tell him the truth? Should I tell him a lie? Should I keep everything a secret? When is his Juilliard audition? What will telling him do to him? What will not telling him to do him? Where will this leave us when everything comes out in the open?

I walked up the steps and across the street and into my apartment building. I took a deep breath before opening the door and went inside. I knew tonight was going to be a sleepless night filled with constant thought about what will happen in the next 12 hours.


	2. The Moment of Fate

Obviously, my inspiration is back so I am taking full advantage of it. Enjoy.

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I looked at the clock; it was 9 in the morning. I obviously passed out on the couch with a cup of coffee in my hand. Immediately, I jumped up, I was supposed to be meeting Ephram in a half hour. Not to mention, it was going to take me at least 30 minutes to get to the diner by subway since it was a Saturday morning.

I ran around my apartment in a complete rage. I got out of the shower and was throwing clothes out of the closet. Trying to fit in some of my clothes before the pregnancy still was not easy. I looked at my stomach and rubbed it. It was hard knowing that only three months ago, I was pregnant. It seemed like a lifetime ago. However, seeing Ephram in the most unexpected of places put everything back into perspective. I finally decided to stick back on the jeans I wore yesterday and a nice NYU sweatshirt. I threw on my makeup and was out the door in 20 minutes.

I looked at my watch as I was boarding the subway. The only thing running through my mind now was that if Ephram was going to still be there when I finally got there. I went to grab my cell phone out of my purse and noticed the battery was dead. I yelled at myself for not paying attention to the battery for the umpteenth time. I put it away and just sat there.

At the next stop a woman stepped inside the door of the subway pushing a stroller. I smiled at her and she smiled in return. "Today is a nice day to go to the park." I said to her.

She replied, "I thought so too. It will be his first time going to the park."

I just smiled and looked at the little boy. He looked like he was about a year old. He was adorable - beautiful blue eyes and curly brown hair. As I watched him sleeping in the stroller, my hand instinctively went to my stomach yet again. I looked away from the baby and noticed my hand was yet again on my stomach. Twice in an hour – what was happening to me? Seeing babies had not had this effect on me over the past three months. I let a tear roll down my cheek. I wiped it away as fast as I noticed it, however more tears began to follow. The woman with the baby noticed I was sniffling and reached into her baby bag and gave me a few tissues.

"Are you okay?" She asked me.

I muffled out, "I'm fine. Just had a rough night." I wiped away the tears and blew my nose.

Before I knew it, it was time for me to get off. I thanked the woman and wished her well. I walked down the street towards the diner.

I reached the door to the diner and I saw Ephram on his cell phone. I hesitated and looked at my stomach and then at Ephram. I looked at my reflection in glass door and noticed my mascara had run a little. I quickly tried to fix it.

I looked at Ephram and then thought about my conversation with Dr. Brown the night before. I told myself that this was the right thing to do just like I told myself that three months ago.

I walked in the door and toward Ephram. This was it - the moment of fate. The moment I have wanted to have with Ephram for a year. I just hope he understands.


	3. Decision

I walked up to Ephram solemnly. He immediately jumped out of his chair almost knocking it back saying, "I thought something had happened to you."

All I did was smile. Ephram pulled my chair out for me and I did a double take. I obviously didn't do it discreetly because I could see Ephram smile.

'Thank you," I said as I sat down. I sniffled a little because my nose was still messed up from crying on the subway.

"Are you okay? You were late. I thought maybe you changed your mind. I tried to call your cell phone but it went straight to your voicemail." Ephram was nervous, I could tell. He was talking fast which was so cute, I couldn't help but smile. He took his seat again and just smile and looked at me. All I could do was smile.

"So where do you want to begin?" Ephram said sitting his elbows on the table. He seemed ready to talk for hours.

Just as I was about to say something, of course, the waiter walks up. I mean, what is it with timing of waiters, anyway. He took our drink order and left.

"Now what were you about to say before our waiter, Jeff, walked up?" Ephram said with a smile.

"I was going to ask you when your audition was." I tried to act as normal as possible, however I felt myself showing the awkwardness I was feeling inside.

"Umm, it's tomorrow afternoon. 4 o'clock." Ephram said. "I practiced last night for 4 hours."

"The ever present perfectionist." I said with a smile. Ephram smiled back that smile that just made me melt. After not seeing him for a year, he still had that effect on me. I knew right there, I was in trouble. "I knew you would make it to Juilliard. You just had to put your mind to it."

Ephram's smile grew bigger and then he said, "So what brings you to NY? Are you going to NYU?" He pointed at my sweatshirt. I looked down at it. I immediately noticed the bottom of the sweatshirt was a little form fitting so I pulled at it a little so Ephram wouldn't notice my little pudge still left from the pregnancy.

"Yeah, I am. I am taking a few classes and waitressing." I said.

Ephram just kept staring at me. He didn't speak. I didn't speak. The silence was getting weird even though it was only a few seconds, because Jeff, our waiter, came back with our drinks. He took our order and disappeared again.

"Okay, so tell me what brought you to New York. I mean this is completely random and Jay knew nothing about this when I talked to him."

"Jay?" I was stunned. Why would Ephram be talking to Jay? What did Jay tell Ephram?

"Yeah, I saw that 'Joe Lies' was playing one night at Burke's Coffee House and I thought that I would see how you were doing since we hadn't seen each other since prom so I went and then some brunette came out on stage instead of you. I waited until after the show and asked Jay about you and he gave me your phone number, but it wasn't a New York one."

"Jay and I finally had our final disagreement about the band so I left it six months ago. Our creative differences were just too different." I explained to him. "So I decided that after last semester at ECC, I would spread my wings a bit and come to New York. I moved here after finals in December." I just couldn't let Ephram know I had not been at school last semester because I was pregnant. His audition was important to him and I know that and I just couldn't bring myself to tell him before the audition. Dr. Brown had told me to tell him the truth and tell him everything, but I just couldn't ruin his shot at Juilliard. He had worked so hard to get to this point; I just couldn't make him blow it. Listening to him in the Plaza made me realize, Juilliard was exactly what he wanted and he had practiced his ass off to get here.

So there, I made my decision. Tomorrow after the audition, I would tell him.

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Read and review. Please. 


	4. Breakfast

After we finished breakfast, Ephram's cell phone rang. He mouthed to me that it was Amy and he got up to take the call. Sitting at the table waiting for him to come back seemed like an eternity. Our conversation had mostly focused on him. I tried to divert the conversation from me because I knew it would only result in Ephram knowing about our baby. And I knew I could not jeopardize his Juilliard audition. I looked at my watch it was almost 11 and I had to be at work at 2. I was working double shifts at the restaurant on Broadway on the weekends because that tips were extremely good.

Ephram came back to the table, "Sorry. Amy says hello," he said as he sat back down with a grin.

I bit my bottom lip and then took a deep breath, "Tell her, I say hello." It killed me knowing that he moved on, even though I probably knew it all along that Amy was his true love – not me.

"So what are you doing the rest of the day?" Ephram asked.

Did he want to spend the afternoon with me? I just can't put myself through that. "I, uh, I, uh, I have to be at work at 2. Gotta pay the rent, y'know?" I muffled out of my mouth with a slight smile.

"Oh, I understand." Ephram sounded disappointed. "I guess I better go practice some more for tomorrow."

"How about we meet up tomorrow night after your audition? We will celebrate you getting into Juilliard." Those words came out of my mouth way to easy. Ephram is a part of my past – not my future – what I am thinking.

"I don't know about celebrating, but meeting up with you tomorrow night sounds good." Ephram said instantly with a huge smile.

I nodded my head in agreement and I started to pull money out of my wallet to pay for my breakfast. Ephram's hand came across the table and touched mine. "No, I got it. It's the least I can do." I slowly pulled my hand out from under his and smiled.

"Thanks. I guess I better get going. I have a lot to do before I go to work. Call me later and we will set up a time and place to meet tomorrow night, okay?" I said as I stood up.

"Great, see you tomorrow." Ephram said as he stood up. "Give me one more hug before you leave." Ephram grabbed me and hugged me. "Thanks for meeting me this morning. It's been way too long."

He let me go and I looked into his eyes, "Yeah, it's been too long. Good luck, Ephram."

"Thanks." Ephram said with a nervous smile.

"Call me." I said and then turned to leave. I left the restaurant and then turned to look through the window. Ephram was paying the waiter and putting on his coat to leave. I immediately took off down the street so he wouldn't see me watching him.

Breakfast was good. Conversation was light, we laughed and caught up – well, I caught up on him. Tomorrow was D-day and I knew it was time to be honest and face everything that I wished I had not done.

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****I am going to skip the telling of the truth. You know how it went. The next chapter will start right after Madison leaves the coffee shop.**


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